Experience with incomplete control rod insertion in fuel with burnup exceeding approximately 40 GWD/MTU

Conference · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1997

OSTI ID:468651

Kee, E ^[1]

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1. Houston Lighting & Power Co., Wadworth, TX (United States)

Analysis and measurement experience with fuel assemblies having incomplete control rod insertion at burnups of approximately 40 GWD/MTU is presented. Control rod motion dynamics and simplified structural analyses are presented and compared to measurement data. Fuel assembly growth measurements taken with the plant Refueling Machine Z-Tape are described and presented. Bow measurements (including plug gauging) are described and potential improvements are suggested. The measurements described and analysis performed show that sufficient guide tube bow (either from creep or yield buckling) is present in some high burnup assemblies to stop the control rods before they reach their full limit of travel. Recommendations are made that, if implemented, could improve cost performance related to testing and analysis activities.

• Research Organization: US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Washington, DC (United States). Office of Nuclear Regulatory Research; Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States)
• OSTI ID: 468651
• Report Number(s): NUREG/CP-0157-Vol.1; CONF-9610202-Vol.1; ON: TI96014720; TRN: 97:008528
• Resource Relation: Conference: 24. water reactor safety information meeting, Bethesda, MD (United States), 21-23 Oct 1996; Other Information: PBD: Jan 1997; Related Information: Is Part Of Proceedings of the twenty-fourth water reactor safety information meeting. Volume 1: Plenary session; High burnup fuel; Containment and structural aging; Monteleone, S. [comp.] [Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, NY (United States)]; PB: 372 p.
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

22 NUCLEAR REACTOR TECHNOLOGY
21 NUCLEAR POWER REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS
CONTROL ELEMENTS
FAILURES
GUIDE TUBES
DEFORMATION
FUEL ASSEMBLIES
BURNUP